Think more clearly about health claims
Evidence is not
a marketing adjective.
We want readers to understand what research can establish—and what it cannot.
We start with the outcome
What meaningful change is claimed: correcting a deficiency, reducing symptoms, or changing a lab measurement? Different outcomes call for different standards of evidence.
We look at the study, not just the headline
Useful questions include: Was the study in humans? Was it randomized? How many participants were involved? What dose and form were tested? Were the results clinically meaningful? Have other research groups reproduced the findings?
We describe uncertainty
We use plain-language descriptions tied to a specific claim: supported for a specific use, promising but limited, preliminary, or not established. The same ingredient can have stronger evidence for one purpose than another.
We include drawbacks
Interactions, adverse effects, missing long-term data, product variation, cost, and the possibility that a supplement is unnecessary all belong in an honest guide.